“And they lived happily ever after…” The best kind of stories end with those six simple words. They bring closure. They bring relief. Yes, the journey may have been long and difficult, but everything turned out alright in the end. We want the assurance that everything – all the heartache, the suffering, the loss – is going to be worth it. The closing chapter of the Bible holds out that exact hope. When all is said and done, God will peel back the curtain of time to reveal an eternity far beyond our wildest dreams. For the final episode of “Eden to Eternity,” we’ll talk about the end of God’s story. It may sound scary, but it’s some of the best news we could even imagine. Spoiler alert: the end of the story really isn’t the end!

“Your mission, should you choose to accept it...” We’re all familiar with these words. They signal the beginning of a new assignment, an exciting adventure, and a mission to save the world. Jesus may not have used these exact words, but they are at the very core of the task He gave His disciples. His mission may have been completed, but theirs was just beginning. Their mission, if they would choose to accept it, was to proclaim to the world who Jesus is and what He had done. In Week 6, the SE Online team will tackle the story of the early church. Those who experienced the Resurrection were forever changed by it. More than that, they transformed the world because of it. Their proclamation of the Gospel continues to resonate today. They were faithful in their mission. Will we be faithful in ours? 

On the night Jesus died, all hope seemed lost. His body lay lifeless in a borrowed tomb, His disciples were scattered. His teachings seemed like they might be swept into the dustbin of history. In that moment, it must have felt like all of the miracles and parables and sacrifices had been for nothing. And yet, there was another part of Jesus’ story yet to be told. In Week 5 of “Eden to Eternity,” we’ll look at Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. What we find there isn’t just the turning point of the biblical story; it is the turning point of all human history. The story of humanity - your story included - rises and falls on the empty tomb. 

Since Genesis 3:15, God had been hinting at a coming Deliverer - the Messiah. One day, Someone was coming who would undo all our sin had done. For years, the Israelites waited for those promises to be fulfilled. With their kingdom now lost, they expected that Deliverer to come as a conquering hero. What they got instead was a baby. When Jesus was born, His part in the story looked completely different from what many expected. And yet, He had come to do exactly what God had long promised. Through His life - and His eventual death - He would deal with sin once and for all. Join us for Week 4 of “Eden to Eternity,” where we’ll talk about the Hero of God’s story.

The nation of Israel had grown prosperous in the time of King David and his son Solomon. And yet, trouble was on the horizon. The nation’s prosperity led them to wander away from God. Through a series of prophets, God tried to call His people back to Himself. But, the nation wouldn’t listen to them - or to Him! They sought after alliances with foreign nations and gave their allegiances to foreign gods. As a result, God punished them with exile in Babylon. In Week 3 of “Eden to Eternity,” we tackle the decline of Israel’s kingdom and their ultimate defeat. Yet, even in a time a great sorrow and destruction, God’s plans were not derailed. Even when all hope seems lost, God is still at work.

In Genesis 12, God made it clear that He wanted to bless the world through Abraham and his descendants. The Old Testament tells the story of how God’s relationship with the Israelite nation and His desire to use them to be His representatives in the world. From their humble beginnings as slaves in Egypt to their rise as a great monarchy under King David, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham by making their nation great. In week 2 of “Eden to Eternity,” the SE Online team will walk through the first half of Israelite history to see God’s unfolding plan of redemption and grace.

Join the SE Online team for EDEN TO ETERNITY - a seven-week study through the story of the Bible. In this first episode, we'll talk about BEGINNINGS. The opening chapters of the Bible help set the stage for the rest of the Bible. Genesis helps us to understand who God is, how we got here, and what went so wrong with this world. You can download the Study Guide for the series at https://my.southeastchristian.org/links/edentoeternity